On his book 'Headley and I'

For most of his childhood, Rahul Bhatt did not know a father's unconditional love - a vacuum that the advent of David Coleman Headley filled for a while. David Headley: the dashing, intriguing Pakistani with one brown eye and a green one, a man who could pass himself off as American quite easily, a charmer of men and women alike. Headley inveigled his way into Rahul's simple world and, in no time, swept him off his feet. It is only when ten men made a mockery of Mumbai in a well-planned act of terrorism, that Rahul realized how close he had come to being a part of the careful plotting and the innumerable recces that Headley carried out. This is a complex tale of human relationships and the deceit therein. It is the story of Rahul Bhatt, an aspiring Bollywood actor, and his encounter with David Coleman Headley, the man who was responsible for a ruthlessly executed carnage, in which 166 people were killed and over 300 injured in the fifty-nine hours that brought Mumbai to heel and shook India. A pulse-racing narrative, told in the voices of Bhatt and Headley, 'Headley and I' traces the months leading up to the horrors of 26/11 and the long months of interrogation that followed.

Why was Vilas so severely handled by the Mumbai police? This sort of thing makes the innocent witness wary of coming forward with evidence. Asked by: Dina

S Hussain Zaidi
they cannot harass rahul he being a son of rich and influential father but vilas was a lower middle class man, and cops needed a scapegoat and a sacrificial lamb and vilas fit the bill for their purpose

Also, has the government taken any action regarding the people that Headley has named? Asked by: Amit

S Hussain Zaidi
Only through diplomatic channels

Do you think the Pakistani intelligence is better trained than Indian intelligence? Asked by: Akash

S Hussain Zaidi
Yes I am convinced

Headley implicated alot of people from the LeT during his interrogation. Surely they will seek revenge if he is not convicted? Asked by: Amit

S Hussain Zaidi
Well, they may not

Do you think that if Headley had looked Indian and therefore not passed off as a foreign tourist, he would have been stopped during his surveys? Asked by: Krishna

S Hussain Zaidi
Many indians had done recces before him and managed to successfully plant bombs and they never got stopped. Our agencies are incompetent bunch of jokers they will never learn to foil the terrorists attacks

Do you think Headley was genuinely concerned about Rahuls's safety that day? Asked by: Madhulika

S Hussain Zaidi
Well so it seemed he did not implicate rahul in his testimony in chicago court

In that case, you have written two different voices and it has been very well executed. Asked by: Argho

S Hussain Zaidi
Thank you argho I wanted to try out this unconventional story telling, am glad you liked it

Rahul Bhatt was very naive indeed. Even if he didn't suspect his friend of being a terrorist, there wee many signs to show that he could not be trusted. Asked by: Paul

S Hussain Zaidi
Like which signs, am not aware. Rahul did suspect him to be a CIA agent which is fair enough, how can an american passport holder be a lashkar operative how would he know

How would you rate this book in comparison to your other works? Asked by: Tasneem Balapurwala

S Hussain Zaidi
Books are like children for an author, i think it will be difficult to rate or compare them. Also this book has been much different from my other adventures. This is not about mafia and its too much about emotions and thoughts of men

Did you meet David Headley yourself or just the people who interrogated him? Asked by: Tanmoy

S Hussain Zaidi
I have not met him, its NIA officers, rahul and vilas

You couldn't have been present for Headley's interrogation, could you? Asked by: Swati

S Hussain Zaidi
No I was not but Ig loknath behera and dig swarup pani were

Hello Sir
Does your book make mention of the fact that Headley was planning to recruit Rahul as a possible ISI agent Asked by: Anshuman Sahu

S Hussain Zaidi
No it was rahul's speculation but headley has not revealed any such plans to any officials

Did Rahul Bhatt write his version of the events or have you written it in his voice? Asked by: Argho

S Hussain Zaidi
he mailed me his version, also my wife and i interviewed him extensively, it his story but words are mine and he has approved it

I am a Huge fan of yours. Just wanted to say hi. I was reviewed your dawood's book on amazon.com. do read it ... Asked by: Prabal

You must lead a very exciting life. Have you ever been threatened? Asked by: Simran

S Hussain Zaidi
Not exciting as you imagine but I enjoy my work. Yes I have been threatened a couple of times

Headley is on trial now but do you think he will be freed because he is giving the American intelligence valuable information? Asked by: Karan

S Hussain Zaidi
the american courts will not free him if they have sufficient evidence against him but in that country agencies have a different kind of clout and power

Did you have to get the permission of cops and IB to get the narration ina book form ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
no never, India is a free country, the day i have to seek permission from any one, i will stop writing books

David Coleman Headley a PAK origin American had made a fool of our RAW/IB and mumbai cops.Probably since he was not carrying any arms and made visits as a tourist or as a guy helping a recruiting agency he managed to get his assignment done. HAs any precaution been put in place now to avoid a repeat of such actions ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
mumbai police or indian agencies will never learn their lessons, they all work to serve their tenure nicely not protecting their country

Being Rahul Bhatt the Indian agencies allowed him to get off after grilling sessions. Would that have happened if the person was not having that social standing ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
rahul was saved because of his family background otherwise Mumbai police had given hard time to his friend vilas warak just because he came from poor background

Headley befriended Rahul bhatt. But how naive was he that he could not check the antecedents of this criminal from overseas ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
headley posed as an american businessman and his credentials were clearly established in Mumbai, am sure even famed cops of incompetent Mumbai police could not have been able to check his antecedents, leaven alone rahul

Did headley have any intentions to use the friendship with Rahul as a shield to cover up the assignemnt he was carrying out ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
it was not part of his original plans until his Let handlers suggested him to continue

What was the reaction of BHATT family once it came to know the real DAVID COLEMAN HEADLEy ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
they blamed it on rahul's naivete but believed very strongly in his innocence

Has the incident led to any negative aspects in the career plan of Rahul Bhatt ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
Not that I am aware of

deceit of Headley - - how shocked was rahul when he came to know of the real person with whom he had been interacting ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
he felt betrayed second time in his life, imagine you find a man whom you revere and connect as father and then you realize he was actually using you

Did you ever had an inkling of who you were with? Asked by: Jeril

S Hussain Zaidi
sorry please explain this qns

Will bollywood buy your story for producing a film ? They may ned a heroine. Does your story have it ?? Asked by: sundar1950in

S Hussain Zaidi
hi am in talks with two bollywood biggies, there are couple of women mentioned in one of the chapters, their role can be enlarged for cinematic representation

Do you think it is stupidity or callousness on the part of Indian Intlligence to miss the signs that an attack is imminent? Asked by: Akash